Expandible and contractible buckle



March 11, 1952 H ONE|| 2,588,655

EXPANDIBLE AND CONTRACTIBLE BUCKLE Filed NOV. 28, 1947 1N V EN TOR.

fraF/VEKS 'lets of similar type.

Patented Mar. 11, 1952 EXPANDIBLE AND CONTRACTILE BUCKLE Henry James ONeill, Waterbury, Conn., assignor to Benrus Watch Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 28, 1947, Serial No. 788,372

Claims.

This invention relates to an expandable and l contractible buckle and in particular to one adapted for use in wrist watch bracelets.

Folding buckles have been employed for many years in wrist Watch bracelets and other brace- These buckles are designed to unfold so as to materially increase the circumference of the bracelet in order that the bracelet might be slipped over the hand of the user and,

" once the bracelet has been properly positioned,

llet-buckle combination adaptable in a comfortable manner to the wrist of a given user as the circumference of the wrist varies due to temperature changes, activity and so forth, such buckles have in the past been provided with slidable members the position of which, with respect to the buckle proper, may be adjusted within limits. It has been customary to provide for such adjustability by means of a pawl and ratchet arrangement, whereby the slidable member may be slid into contracted position upon the application of force thereto in the direction of desired motion, the ratchet resisting motion in the opposite or expanding direction. These slidable membersl therefore could be easily slid to a more contracted position but in order forthem to be moved to more expanded position, some form of release mechanism had to be actuated, the said actuation including the application of force to the buckle in a direction other than the direction of desired outward motion ofthe slidable member. Indeed, in many cases it is necessary, in order to expand the buckle, to first unfold it so as to release the slidable member from the pawl and ratchet arrangement and then to reposition the slidable member. This gives rise to marked in,- convenience in the manipulation of the buckle to render it most comfortable, at least when the bracelet is to be expanded instead of contracted.

The occasions upon which it is desired to eX- pand the buckle slightly in order to increase the comfort of the wearer thereof are many. Particularly in hot weather, the wrist tends to expandor swell, and a bracelet adjusted for comfort in the-morning or when in a lcool place will almost invariably need readjustment in an expa'ndeddirection by the afternoornor when going into awarrn, place. Activity or Aexertion has a similar eiect on the wrist, theincreased circu- K lation of theblood apparentlycausingwthewrist 'pletely unfolded in order 2 to expand somewhat. There are, moreover, many occasions when it is desired to move the wrist watch farther up on the arm of the wearer than its normal position. For example, when washing the hands, it is most desirable toV move the watch up the arm so as to minimize the possibility of its becoming damaged through being moistened. Similar situations will readily come to mind.

With buckles of thel prior art, such adjustment with respect'to extensibility vis relatively awkward to obtain and in addition various unlocking arrangements of more or less complex construction must be provided if the buckle is not to be comto achieve limited extensibility. It is the prime object of the present invention to devise a folding buckle which is'readily adjustable both in the direction of contractibility and expensibility by the application of force upon a slidable member solely in the direction of desired motion.

It is a further object of the present invention to devise a" bracelet buckle which may be'expanded as well as contracted in a simple manner and without the necessity of employing complicated unlocking arrangements to achieve the eX- tensibility. Y

It is recognized that the prior art discloses folding buckles having slidable members capable of assuming a number of' predetermined fixed positions which may be easily contracted, but to applicants knowledge it has never before been proposed to employ such a buckle which is just as easily extendible nor to devise such a buckle structure which achieves this extensibility without in any Way adding to the complexity of the construction` thereof. y

VIt has also been proposed in the prior art'to employ in folding buckles having slidable members a spring active uponthe slidable member so as to resiliently urge it into retractedposition Withinv the buckle. By combining such a spring Vwith the` expansible and contractible features ljl'ects and suchv other objects as may hereinafter appear, the present invention relates to the expandable and contractlble buckle construction as defined inthe appended claims and as described Fig. 4 is an end cross-sectional-view. taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view similarto Fig. 3 Vbut showing Ehe slidable member in partially .expanded posilon;

Fig. 6 is a side view of the buckleiin unfolded and fully expanded condition; and

Fig. 7 is a top view of the buckle of Fig. 6.

The buckle of the present invention comprises .atplurality ofu sectionsfoldablek upon one another, :theseV sections `comprising .the tcp section A, the intermediate sectionB and the end section C. A member. Dis mounted on; one Vofthe sections, :here shown as the top section `.n..so as to beslidable therein between the contracted position r-sliown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, `and the expanded Vposition shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the member D being capable of taking up a plurality of predetermined xed intermediate positions, one of which is illustrated in Fig. 5. A positioning structure comprising a detent element E and -a detent receiver F are provided, one on the slidable member D and the other on any one of the sections A, B or C. By way of concrete illus'- tration, it is here shown on the intermediate section B, but that is not essential to the invention. The positioning structure isA so constructed and arranged as to permitthe slidable member D to be'moved'either in or out of the top section A upon the application of force thereto'solely in the direction of desired motion, and this evenA l'while the buckle is in' folded condition.

As shown in Figs. l and`2, thebuekle is adapted to connect the free ends 2 `and 4 of 'a pair of iiexible bracelet sections and 8, the otherends Vof which are attached in conventional manner to a watch II). The free end 2 of the bracelet section 6 is fastened to the'projecting'en'd I!!V of the slidable member D while the end 4V ofthe bracelet section 8 is fastened to the projecting end I4 of the end member C. This attachment maybe-by means of pintle pins IB. Vsimilar pins serving to interconnect and pivotally attachthe top, intermediate and end sections AQB and C to one another.

As here specifically disclosed, the top section is'provided with a top wall I8 which represents the Yexposed surface yof the4A buckle whenY infolded condition *andv which 'consequently may be suitably ornamented, side walls "2B andinturned side wall ends 22. j

The intermediate section Bis provided with a bottom wall 24 Aand may optionally be provided with upturned side walls 2G, thevside walls serving' merely as rigidity imparting members. The bottomV wall 24 may be provided with corrugations 28, these corrugations deiining'the detent receiving surface F. It will be noted from an examination particularly of Figs. l3, 5 and6` that thesecorrugations differ from a ratchet surface `in that 'the latter is inclined'unequally in both "directions so as to vpermit slidable motion only j ingone direction, .whereas the `corrugations Y28a're equally.r inclined in. both directionsso .that slidable motion of the member Dmaybepermitted .side wall ends 42.

equally in two directions, the direction of extensibility and the direction of contractibility.

The end section C is provided with a bottom wall 39, side walls 32, and out-turned side Wall ends 34. The sections A, B and C are so proportioned that when the buckle is folded, the inlterniediate section B is foldable inside'the end section Cland'these two foldable sections are then receivable within the top section A, the outturned side wall ends 34 of the end section C `passing through the inturned side wall ends 22 of the top `section A.

The slidable member D comprises a bottom wall 36, an upward' projection 38 at the inner end thereof, depending side walls 4D, and inturned The member D is slidable within the top section A, being retained therein bythe top wall I 8 and the inturned side wall ends 22 thereof. The top wall I8 of the top section A and the top wall 3570i the slidable member D .are spaced from one another and interposed vbetween them is a spring 44one end of which. is

vactive upon the Yupward projection 3a on the slidable member D. and the other end of which is active upon a downturned portion 46 on the top sectionA, the spring being compressed between the projections 38 and 4S so as constantly to urge the. slidable member D into retractedposition. A projection 48 may be provided on the slidable member D so asto limit the inward motion oi that member (see Fig. 3, in which the inward motion is limited by abutment .of the projection 48 on the projection 46).

The slidable member D is provided with a detent element E, here shown in the form of a resilient tongue 5I) struck from the bottom wall 36 itself, integrally formed therewith, inclined downwardly with respect thereto, and provided at its extremity with the rounded detent surface 52. This surface 52 is adapted, when the buckle is folded, to engage with the corrugations28 dening the ,detent receiving surface F on the intermediate. section B so as to retain the slidable member D in any desired one of a plurality of fixed positions. By reason of the fact that the corrugations 28` are equally inclined in both directions, the slidable member D may be moved in either direction, either to contract the buckle or to expand the same, merely by the application of suflicient force thereto to overcome the resilient detent engagement between the detent element E and the detent receiving surface F. Movement of the slidable member D is facilitated by the resiliency of the tongue 5I! and by the rounded nature of its detent surface 52. By means of this construction,r it will be apparent that a buckle of simple. construction has been produced which, after being folded, may either be contracted or expanded. within limits, solely by the applicationfof forcer thereto in the direction of desired motion and without the necessity of employing any additional structure designed to unlock the positioning structure so as to permit two way motion. Neither is it necessary that the buckle be unfolded before extensibility can be achieved.

The spring 44 performs two primary functions, automatic sizing and accidental expansion preventing. When the bracelet with the buckle unfolded is iirst-placed on the wrist of the wearer, theslidable member D is urged by the spring 44 buckleitself providing suiiicient increase in the circumference of the bracelet to permit it to be slipped over the hand of the user. As the buckle 'is folded, the bracelet is tightened against the wrist of the user, thus forcing the slidable member D out to extend from the top section A against the action of the spring 44. When the buckle has been completely folded, it will be apparent that the slidable member D in conjunction with the spring 44 has permitted the buckle to size itself automatically to the wrist of the 'wearer. This function of the spring 44 has been appreciated before.

The additional primary function which the I spring 44 performs in the buckle of the present invention is to prevent accidental extensibility of vthe bracelet and at the same time permit a quite limited but definite degree of adjustability of the buckle. If the spring 44 were omitted, the only resistance to the extensibility of the slidable member D would be the resilient detent action by the detent element E and the detent receiv- -ing surface F. Should the detent element E b-ecome weakened through use or should some foreign matter on' the detent receiving surface F vprevent the proper functioning of the detent, were 'it not for the spring 44 the buckle might tend to become loose of even completely vdisengaged. The spring 44 therefore cooperates with the positioning structure to ensure that the buckle and the bracelet will remain on the wrist.

Moreover, as will be noted particularly by ref- A erence to Fig. 5, the corrugatlons 28 are prefer'- ably spaced apart from one another a distance somewhat greater than that taken up by the f rounded surface 52 of the detent element E. The spring 44, by constantly urging the slidable member D into a retracted position, will always urge the detent element E toward the inner one of the two corrugations 28 between which the detent element E is positioned. Once the buckle has been properly adjusted for a given wrist so as to impart the greatest degree of comfort to the user thereof, in other words, once the slidable mem- Yber D has been secured in one of its fixed intermediate positions such as the position illustrated -in Fig. 5, some small degree of play or resilient expansibility still inheres in the bracelet. Thus, should the wearer bend his Wrist so as to expand the same, the spring 44 active upon the slidable member D may be contracted somewhat, the slidable member D thus being permitted to moveso as to expand the buckle an amount approximately equivalent to the spacing between the corrugations 28. By this means transitory expansions of the wrist may be comfortably accommodated without in any way destroying the semifixed nature of the adjustment or positioning of 1 the slidable member D by means of the detent element E and the detent receiving surface'F.

`ll/.fanymethods may be employed to maintain ..the .buckle in folded position. In the structure here disclosed, the inturned side wall ends 42 of" the slidable member D project inwardly farther than the inturned side wall ends 22 of the top vsection A and to a sufficient degree to be engagev able beneath the out-turned side wall ends 34 of the bottom member C. When this interengagement occurs (see Fig. 4), the buckle is securely Y locked in folded position. As will be apparent from Figs. 6 and 7,'the out-turned ends 34 of the end section C do not extend the entire length of ...that member. They are instead so positioned? .i that when the slidable member D is in its fully extended position, the inturned ends 42 thereof no longer engage the out-turned ends 34 of the fend section C. When this occurs, the buckle may be'iunfolded. Untilthis occurs, the engagementof the inturned ends 42 with the out-*turned ends 34 may positively. prevent unfolding. In an optional arrangement, the engagement of the two ends may be such as to permit them to be snapped into engagement at any position of the slidable member D and disengaged by a lifting action on the top section A, the two ends automatically disengaging themselves without the necessity of any such lifting action when the slidable member D is in its fully extended position.

In its preferred form, the length of the outturned ends 34 of the end section C are so positioned that when the slidable member Dhas been moved to a position such that the spring 44 causes engagement of the rounded detent surface 52 with the end corrugation 28 (see Fig. 5), engagement between the inturned ends 42 and the outturned ends 34 still takes place, that engagement being destroyed only when the slidable member D is extended still further, against the tension of spring 44. In this way, accidental unfolding of the buckle is at least to some extent prevented, the spring 44, the slidable member D, detent element E, detent receiving surface F, and the inturned ends 42 and out-turned ends 34 all combining to make it possible to extend the slidable member D to its last detent held position without permitting the buckle to become unfolded, it being necessary to apply additional extending force to the slidable member D to unfold the buckle. Were it not for this preferred but optional spacing of the out-turned edges 34 and were it not for the employment of the spring 44, this could not be achieved.

The buckle structure here described is in the main even more simplied than thatof more conventional buckles which permit only contractibility and not expansibility of the buckle. By means of this simplified construction, expansibility may be achieved as simply as contractibility. By including the spring 44 in the construction, not only is the buckle made self-adjusting as it is folded, but a limited degree of resilient expansibility is imparted to the buckle after it has been adjusted so as to take into account and allow for relatively small increases in the size of the wrist. In addition, the spring 44 provides a safety factor mitigating against accidental expansion of the buckle in the event of failure or weakening of the positioning structure including the detent element E and the detent receiving surface F. The accidental unfolding of the buckle is to a large extent positively prevented and in a preferred but optional arrangement, the slidable member D may be extended to its last detent position without permitting the buckle to unfold. All of the parts of the buckle of the present invention may be easily fabricated since they areA all formedA of sheet metal which may be stamped or pressed to desired shape inexpensively and rapidly.

v Even the detent element E and the detent receiving surface F are formed integrally with the slidable member D and the intermediate section B respectively. Assembly problems are mini- .sz-,assess 'I `art but' it also provides additional features of! adjustablity and comfort'to the wearer which are not present in prior art buckles.

Although the buckle has been here' described in a speci'c form, it will be apparent that many changes may be made in the detailed structure thereof without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims.

lclaim:

1. An expandable and contractible buckle comprising a top section having a top wall, side Walls and inturned side wail ends, an intermediate section having a bottom wall pivoted to said top section, an end section pivoted to said intermediate section and having a bottom Wall, side walls and out-turned side wall ends, said intermediate and said end sections being foldable into said top section between said side Walls and past said inturned ends, the bottom wall of said intermediate section having a detent receiving surface inclined substantially equally in both directions, a member slidable in said top section and having a bottom Wall, an upward projection at the inner end thereof, depending side Walls and inturned side wall ends, said ends .being engageable under the out-turned side wall ends of said end section except when said slidable member is fully extended from said top section, a spring engaged between said top section and said slidable member and active on the upward projection of said slidable member to urge the same into retracted position, and a resilient detent element vprojecting from said slidable member and engageable with the detent receiving surface of said intermediate section when said buckle is folded so that said member is movable at will in either direction while said buckle is folded upon the application of force thereto solely in the direction of desired motion.

2. An expandable and contractible buckle comprising a top section having a top Wall, side Walls and inturned side wall ends, an intermediate section having a bottom wall pivted to said top section, an end section pivoted to said intermediate section and having a bottom wall, side walls and out-turned side wall ends, said intermediate and said end sections :being foldable into said top section between said side walls and past said inturned ends, the bottom wall of said intermediate section having a detent receiving surface inclined substantially equally in both directions, a member slidable in said top section and having a bottom wall, an upward projection at the inner end thereof, depending side walls and inturned side wall ends, said ends being engageable under the out-turned side wall ends of said end section except when said slidable member is fully extended from said top section, a spring engaged between said top section and said slidable member and active upon the upward projection of said slidable member to urge the same into retracted position, and a resilient detent element having a rounded engaging surface projecting from said slidable member and engageable with the detent receiving surface of said intermediate section when said buckle is folded so that said member is movable at will Vin either direction While said buckle is folded upon the application of force thereto solely in the direction of desired motion.

3. An expandable and contractible buckle comprising a top section having a tcp wall and -side walls, an intermediate section having-a bottom wall pivoted to said top section, an end section pivoted to said intermediate section and having a bottom wall, side walls and out-turned'side wall ends, said intermediateand said end sections being foldable into said top section between said side walls, the bottom wall of said intermediate section having a detent receiving surface inclined substantially equally in both directions, a member slidable in said top section and having a bottom wall, depending side wallsA and inturned side wall ends, said ends being engageable under the out-turned side wall ends of said end section exceptV when said slidable member is fully extended from said top section, a spring active on said slidable member to urge the same into retracted position, and a resilient detent element projecting from said slidable member and engageable with the detent receiving surface of said intermediate section when saidv buckle is folded so that said member is movable at will in either direction While said buckle is folded upon the application of force thereto solely in the direction of desired motion.

4. An expandable and contractible buckle conprising a top section having a top wall and side walls, an intermediate section having a bottom wall pivoted to said top section, an end section pivoted to said intermediate section and having a bottom wall, side walls and out-turned side wall ends, said intermediate and said end sections being foldable into said top section between said side walls, the bottom wall of said intermediate section having a detent receiving surface inclined substantially equally in both directions, a member slidable in said top section and having a bottom wall, depending side Walls and inturned side wall ends, said ends being engageable under the out-turned side wall ends of said end section except when said slidable member is fully extended from said top section, a spring active upon said slidable member to urge the same into retracted position, and a resilient detent element having a rounded engaging surface projecting from said slidable member and engagea-ble with the detent receiving surface of said intermediate section when said buckle is folded so that said member is movable at will in either direction while said buckle is folded upon the application of force thereto solely in the direction of desired motion.

5. An expandable and contractible buckle comprising a top section having a top wall and side walls, an intermediate section having a bottom wall pivoted to said top section, an end section pivoted to said intermediate section and having a bottom wall, side walls and out-turned side Wall ends, said intermediate and said end sections being foldable into said top section between said side Walls, the bottom wall of said intermediate section having a detent receiving surface vinclinedsubstantially equally in both directions, a member slidable in said top section and having aY bottom wall, depending side walls and inturned side wall ends, said ends being engageable under the out-turned side wall ends of said end section except when said slidable member is fully extended from said top section, a spring active on 'said slidable member to urge the same into retracted position, and a resilient detent element projecting from said slidable member and engageable with the detent receiving surface of said intermediate section when said buckle is foldedso that said member is movable at will in either direction'while saidbuckle isfolded upon the application of force theretov solely' in the direction of desired motion, said detent element and said detent 'receiving surface beingv so rela- "m tively positioned that WhenSad dtn't element is in contact with the outer end of said detent receiving surface, urged into said contact by Said spring, the inturned side wall ends of said slidable member are still engaged under the outturned side wall ends of said end section.

6. An expandable and contractible buckle comprising a top section having a top wall and side walls, an intermediate section having a bottom wall pivoted to said top section, an end section pivoted to said intermediate section and having a bottom Wall, side Walls and out-turned side Wall ends, said intermediate and said end sections being foldable into said top section between said side walls, the bottom wall of said intermediate section having a detent receiving surface inclined substantially equally in both directions, a member slidable in said top section and having a bottom Wall, depending side walls and inturned side wall ends, said ends being engageable under the out-turned side Wall ends of said end section except when said slidable member is fully extended from said top section, a spring active upon said slidable member to urge the same into retracted position, and a resilient detent element having a rounded engaging surface projecting from said slidable member and engageable with the detent receiving surface of said intermediate section when said buckle is folded so that said member is movable at will in either' direction While said buckle is folded upon the application of force thereto solely in the direction of desired motion, said detent element and said detent re ceiving surface being so relatively positioned that when said detent element is in contact with the outer end of said detent receiving surface, urged into said contact by said spring, the inturned side wall ends of said slidable member are still engaged under the out-turned side wall ends of said end section.

7. An expandable and contractible buckle comprising a plurality of sections foldable upon one another, a member slidable in one of said sections, a spring active upon said member to urge it into retracted position Within said section, and positioning structure comprising a detent element and a cooperating detent receiver on said member and one of said sections, said member, except When in substantially fully extended position, engaging a section other than the one within which it is slidable so as to maintain said buckle in folded relation, said positioning structure being engageable when said buckle is folded and being so constructed and arranged as to retain said slidable member in any one of a plurality of positions but permit said member to be manually slid in either direction upon the application of force thereto solely in the direction of desired motion, said detent element and said detent receiver being so relatively positioned that when said detent element is in contact with the outer end of said detent receiver, urged into said contact by said spring, said member is still engaged with said section, said spring thus preventing accidental opening of said buckle.

8, An expandable and contractible buckle comprising a plurality of sections foldable upon one another, a member slidable in one of said sections, a spring active upon said member to urge lt into retracted position within said section, and positioning structure comprising a detent element and a cooperating detent receiver on said member and one of said sections, said detent receiver being so shaped relative to said detent element as to permit some freedom of movement of said meml0 ber in each of its detented positions, said positioning structure being engageable when said buckle is folded and being so constructed and arranged as to retain said slidable member in any one of a plurality of positions with a limited de .said one of said sections engageable with 'said tongue so that said member may be fixed in slidable position, said corrugations being substantially equally inclined in both directions so that said member is movable at will in either direction While said buckle is folded upon the application of force thereto solely in the direction of desired motion, said slidable member, except when in. substantially fully extended position, engaging a section other than the one in which it is slidable so as to maintain said buckle in folded relationship, said resilient tongue and said corrugations being so relatively positioned that when said tongue is in contact with the outer surface of the outer one of said corrugations, urged into said contact by said spring, said slidable member is still engaged with said other section, said spring thus preventing accidental opening of said buckle.

l0. An expandable and contractible buckle comprising a plurality of sections foldable upon one another, a member slidable in one of said sections, a spring active upon said member to urge it into retracted position within said section,

, a resilient tongue projecting from said member toward one of said sections, said corrugations in said one of said sections engageable With said tongue, said corrugations being so spaced from one another relative to the size of said`tongue as to permit some freedom of movement of said tongue between said corrugations, the cooperation between said corrugations and said tongue thus xing said slidable member in any one of a plurality of positions and permitting said slidable member a limited degree of resilient slidability, said corrugations lbeing substantially equally inclined in both directions so that said member is movable at Will in either direction While said buckle is folded upon the application of force thereto solely in the direction of desired motion.

HENRY JAMES ONEILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 797,953 Gurren Aug. 22, 1905 1,738,561 Carlson Dec. 10, 1929 1,910,739 Baker May 23, 1933 2,138,570 Carlson Nov. 29, 1938 2,193,596 Kestenman Mar. 17, 1940 2,240,479 Borden May 6, 1941 2,445,023 Ebert July 13, 1948 

